demonstrations
Where Are All the Women in South Korea's Democracy Protests?
Moon Young-me was one of the five million South Koreans estimated to have come out onto the streets in June 1987. She was bare-faced, wearing no makeup or fancy clothing. That was the norm for the student protest culture at the time. She was a 21-year-old history major, a transfer
Journalism Without Journalists: Political Interference Cripples Public Broadcasting
President Park Geun-hye’s scandal is often seen as a triumph of South Korean journalism. Not just for the dogged investigations by countless journalists, but because typically partisan newspapers on different sides of the political spectrum, like Hankyoreh and Chosun Ilbo, all reported persistently and critically on the same
A Candlelight Effect: Kim Jong-un Bows to His People
This concern [to improve the lives of the citizens] was in my heart, but I lacked the ability to see these dreams to fruition and spent the last year in regret and guilt. If I ask you to guess who the quote above is from, what name comes to
Weekly Brief: Dec. 12th - 18th
Nicaragua breaks up protest at South Korean-owned factory Normally union-friendly Nicaragua stamped down on a union protest at a South Korean-owned factory after workers complained about working conditions. The company fired the union leadership and called the police, who detained a dozen workers. The two countries signed an FTA just
Weekly Brief: Nov. 28th - Dec. 4th
Foreign residents banned from participating in nationwide rallies The weekly demonstrations have drawn enthusiastic crowds, but a reminder to foreign residents of South Korea: It’s illegal for them to participate. Immigration law bans non-citizens from any form of political activity. However, there’s a low chance of any negative
Weekly Brief: Sept. 19th - Sept. 25th
RIP, Baek Nam-gi Baek Nam-gi, the farmer knocked over by a police water cannon, has succumbed to his injuries (a skull fracture and brain hemorrhage) and passed away yesterday after being in a coma for the last 10 months. He was 69. As of press time there is a sit-up
Weekly Brief: Sept.12th - Sept. 18th
Shockwaves felt around the country In the aftermath of a 5.1 earthquake and a 5.8 aftershock that hit the south-eastern part of the country on Monday, politicians of all stripes criticized the government’s slow response and the limitations of the current alert system (which notifies citizens via
Weekly Brief: August 29th - September 4th
Sunken Ship, Sinking Commission The Sewol Special Investigation Commission held its third hearing into the causes of the tragic ferry disaster from April 2014, despite the government’s attempts to disband it. The government claims that the commission’s term is up and no further hearings on the